Night Curbs on Chantry Flats Voted

The City Council, yielding to complaints of drunk driving and rowdy late night parties at Chantry Flats, has decided to temporarily close at night the only road leading to the popular hiking and recreational area.

In a 4-0 vote Tuesday, the City Council agreed to close a section of Santa Anita Avenue for up to six months. The action could lead to a permanent nighttime closing if it successfully deters party-goers and does not elicit an outcry from hikers and other recreational users, officials said.

But before the temporary measure can be put into effect, a gate preventing nighttime access to Chantry Flats and road signs warning visitors of the 10 p.m.-to-6 a.m. closing must be installed. City officials predicted that would take at least four weeks.

And the plan must be cleared by officials in Arcadia and Monrovia, both of which oversee parts of Santa Anita Avenue as it winds its way up to Chantry Flats. Sierra Madre City Administrator James McRea told the council that the two cities have indicated support for the measure and are willing to share the costs of the gate and warning signs.

“Obviously a lot of work still needs to be done. We’re not going to close it tonight,” said Mayor Lisa Fowler.

Sierra Madre residents along the road at the base of the mountain have long complained of teen-agers and young adults who party at Chantry Flats on weekends and throughout the summer and are unable to negotiate the twisting road. Residents tell of seven serious accidents in their neighborhood of $400,000 homes in the past three months alone, all involving young drivers who had used alcohol or drugs at Chantry Flats.

Cabin owners who spend their weekends at Chantry Flats--which sits at the entrance of the Angeles National Forest and is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service--complain of increased vandalism and scores of drunk teen-agers throwing bottles, setting off fireworks and brawling.

In January, 20 Sierra Madre homeowners organized Citizens for a Safer Sierra Madre and got 700 of their neighbors to sign a petition calling on the various agencies to install a gate on Santa Anita Avenue near Arno Drive that would be locked at night.

Residents argue that closing the gate at night would not only reduce traffic accidents and potentially save lives but would free up police agencies that patrol and sweep the area. They say other solutions put forward, such as a toll booth manned by a forest official charging $2 per car, would not deter troublemakers from entering the mountain.

In a February letter to county Supervisor Mike Antonovich, whose district also encompasses a large section of Santa Anita Avenue, the group threatened to stage a number of media events if the supervisor did not work to close the gate.

While Tuesday’s vote is seen as a big step in that direction, some residents remain skeptical. They point to what they see as foot-dragging by the three cities, the U.S. Forest Service and the county.

“We’ve been told so many different things that we don’t know who to believe,” said resident Susan Hartley.

Ollie Blanning, a senior deputy in Antonovich’s office, said the supervisor is not yet prepared to throw his support behind permanently closing the gate at night. She said such a decision should await the completion of a report measuring the effectiveness of the temporary closure and its impact on midnight hikers and others who enjoy Chantry Flats for its breathtaking nighttime view of the San Gabriel Valley.